EIGHT Superlambananas have returned to Liverpool as a permanent legacy of Capital of Culture year.

The “eight for 08” were commissioned by the city council to celebrate the Go Superlambananas trail, which was one of the highlights of culture year.

The themes aim to reflect the character of the people of the city. They will stand on the Strand for the next few weeks before being moved to a site near the new entrance of Lime Street Station. One of the statues, Architecture, will also be included in the Liverpool Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.

Council leader Warren Bradley said: “We wanted to create something that was a reminder of the magical year that was ‘08 and that captured the spirit of Capital of Culture.

“What better symbol of the year than the Superlambananas? They were, in many ways, the people’s highlight. And the people of Liverpool have influenced these designs.”